Winter Skin Blues: Why You're Breaking Out More in the Winter

Thought your breakouts were restricted to the sticky, humid summer days and nights? Wrong. Although breakouts are more associated with oil and sweat buildup brought on by hot summer days, winter time can bring on another set of unexpected skin care concerns.

There are many factors that affect your skin as the weather changes. Here we're going to discuss the top ones and why you may be experiencing more breakouts as the weather turns cold.

Changes in the Weather

The transition from fall to winter can be quite harsh on the skin. Strong winds, freezing temperatures, rain and snow can really be a shock to the system and that includes your skin. Harsh weather can stress the surface of the skin and cause imbalances.

What you can do:

Pay attention to your skin's needs and be consistent in your skin care routine. If you notice that your skin becomes more dry, then you may need to switch to a creamier moisturizer or supplement with an oil. Also, be sure to stick to your day and night time skin care routine. The harsh weather can strip your skin of moisture causing your oil glands to produce more sebum. Consistency in your skin care will help to combat the extreme changes in weather your skin may experience.

Switching Up Your Products

This one can be a little tricky. Typically we need to change up our products a bit when the seasons change. During the summer, our skin produces more sweat and oil therefore we use lighter moisturizers and serums. During the winter, even oily skin can be stripped of moisture. This is when we typically begin to experiment with products. While you may need a more substantial moisturizer in the winter, you'll want to make sure you choose the right products for your skin type. Dry skin can handle butters and oils whereas combination and oily skin can easily become clogged.

What you can do:

If your skin is feeling dry, choose a creamy, oil-free moisturizer. This will help to supplement the moisture loss without clogging the pores. Even in the winter, your pores can become clogged causing breakouts. Therefore try to keep the experimenting to a minimum!

Dry Skin Buildup

Harsh winter weather can cause a build up of dead skin cells, and dry, flaky areas. Therefore it's still important to exfoliate regularly. The challenge in the colder months is that the harsh weather can cause the skin to become inflamed - a precursor to acne. You don't want to cause further irritation to your skin, so you'll have to choose your exfoliant carefully.

What you can do:

Choose a gentle exfoliator in the colder months. Instead of a scrub, go with a chemical or enzyme exfoliant. Pumpkin and papaya are great ingredients to look for in an enzymatic treatment. Fruit enzymes provide gentle, yet effective exfoliation. If you love your scrubs, choose one with very fine grains instead of larger scrubby beads which can cause the skin to become irritated.

Stress

The the holidays may be a happy time, they can also produce a lot of stress. Daylight also begins to dwindle, making it more difficult for you to get out of bed and stay active.

What you can do:

Try to stick to your exercise routine and take frequent walks throughout the day. This will help to work off stress - also a precursor to acne and breakouts. Make sure you're getting your beauty sleep during the busy holiday season!